This invention relates to an improved clip attachment apparatus and more particularly to a double clipper which includes a cut-off knife construction particularly useful for cutting plastic netting material.
Heretofore various patents have disclosed apparatus known as clippers. Clippers are generally defined as apparatus for attaching a U-shaped, metal clip about gathered material such as food casing. The clip is generally driven by a punch which cooperates with a die to form the clip about the gathered material. Various prior art patents disclosing such mechanisms include Tipper, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,394,528, 3,543,378, and 2,880,419. Other patents disclosing a mechanism of this type are Velarde, U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 30,196 and 4,001,926.
Often a pair of clippers are arranged side by side to simultaneously attach two spaced clips to netting or wrapping material. The two clips are spaced about one-half to one inch apart. One of the clips closes off or seals material which has been packaged. The second clip will define the first end of a package which is to be filled. Velarde in U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,926 discloses such a construction. Typically, after the two spaced clips are attached to the gathered material, the material between the clips is cut. A cutting knife such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 30,196 may be used to effect the cutting of the gathered material.
While such a cutting knife has worked well, the use of such a cutting knife to cut plastic netting material has not been as effective as desired. That is, plastic netting material, when cut with such a knife, may tend to produce plastic shards or plastic fragments of netting material that can potentially contaminate the product being processed by the equipment. As a result, a new and more effective method of cutting or shearing such netting in a manner which produces no fragments is deemed desirable.